Yerevan – Tegher Monastery – Yerevan

Description of the trail
The bike trail passes through Yerevan then Aragatsotn province with the north-south highway, reaching from about 1,000 to 1,700m of altitude from the sea level.
It is possible to visit Byurakan Observatory named after Victor Hambardzumyan in Byurakan village. The route is passable during three seasons of the year. From the altitude of Tegher monastery, Kasakh canyon and the river are visible. The return is with the same route.

Description of the Monuments
Tegher Monastery (Degher) is located in the village of Tegher north of Byurakan, on the right bank of the canyon in Aragatsotn marz of Armenia. It is included in the state list of permanent historical and cultural monuments of Tegher. According to the inscriptions on the stone facade of the narthex’ entrance, Mamakhatun, the wife of Vache Vachutian the Prince of Ararat, built the monastery. The complex consists of the St. Astvatsatsin church (Holy Mother of God Church) and its narthex.

St. Astvatsatsin church: According to the inscriptions on the southern side of the cupola, the Church was built in 1213. Inwardly it has a cruciform layout with two-storied sacristies in each of the four corners, and outwardly, it has a rectangular form. The church is distinguished through its moderate architectural style and it belongs to a type of domed churches. The complex, located on a small hill, was built in dark grey basalt.
The narthex is on the west side of the church, and according to the inscriptions on one of the pillars, the construction of the narthex lasted 11 years and was completed in 1232. In size, it is larger than the church. Of interest are the domed chapels, in the northwestern and southwestern corners on the narthex roof, which were designed according to a new style and are a unique phenomenon in church architecture that gave a distinctive shape to the building (i.e. the entrance from the chapel to the narthex is from the roof).
The narthex is notable for its spatial design and has a special place among other similar narthexes (or gavits, in Armenian) popular in that period.
For defensive reasons the monastery was fortified. Sargis Byurakantsi reconstructed it in 1468, and it was further renovated at the end of 18th century. The earthquake in 1949 considerably damaged the monastery, so further reconstruction was carried out between 1950-1953 and 1975-1976.

Flora
In Aragatsotn province, semi-desert, dry mountain grassland, alpine and snow-covered zones follow each other. Rivers flowing through the grass-covered rivers and gorges are causing waterfalls somewhere. People from different places come here to see the high areas occupied by the monastery and the meadows decorated with multicolored flowers. There are numerous and variegated fragrant flowers here since the spring. On the two sides of the road leading from Byurakan to the Armenian Alphabet Monument, there is a forest plantation where people organize their own recreation.

Fauna
Mostly little animals are encountered here. The fauna of the Aragats inclines is rarely seen jerboa and rabbit. The fox, the wolf, and the porcupine are also often encountered. In the hot weather there are many reptiles, lizards, snakes, rarely, and turtles.

Safety and Security
From Yerevan to Tegher Monastery, Ucom and Viva Cell-Mts mobile connections are always available․ In the case of an accident 911 rescue services operate in Armenia 24/7. Beware of dogs in the village.

Trail technical parameters
Best period: April - November
Distance: 41 km from Yerevan, by M1 highway
Bike trail length: 82 km
Biking duration: 5 hours (Please note this time period, but not the GPS device)
100% of the road is covered with asphalt
Altitude from sea level: 1000-1686m
The best drink is bottled water

How to get to the trail
The above mentioned trail can be reached from Yerevan to Aragatsotn province by M1 highway. In case of fatigue or sickness, it is better to use a taxi with counters. Taxis throughout Armenia are quite affordable.